Louisiana Lottery Confirms $2.4 Million Winner

(KMDL-FM) Lottery news in Louisiana has been flowing fast and furious this week as players from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, Ruston, and other communities are learning the ropes of the "New" Mega Millions game. And while that game is paying even bigger prizes we have exciting news that "an old favorite" was the catalyst for a $2.4 million win this week.

Most of the lottery talk in Louisiana this week has been surrounding the new Mega Millions game. Based on the very small sample size of only two drawings, I think Louisiana players will warm up to the new format quickly.

What Are The Changes in the 'New' Mega Millions Game?

The principles behind the multi-state lottery game Mega Millions made wholesale changes to the way it is played as of April 8, 2025. Two drawings have been held under the new format, and based on data from the Louisiana Lottery, it appears the "new" Mega Millions is a payout powerhouse for Louisiana players.

For example, we have first-hand knowledge of a player in Youngsville who matched four white balls for the April 11, 2025 drawing. Under the old format, that ticket would have paid $500. But based on the new random multipliers added by Mega Millions as part of the game's revamp that ticket is actually worth $5,000 this morning.

According to a press release from Mega Millions players across the game's footprint earned $3.4 million more than they would have under the game's old rules. I do think once the "confusion" about the new format calms down more and more Louisiana players will see better results for their lottery investment than they have in previous years.

What Was the Mega Millions Jackpot on Friday Night?

Here is how the official Mega Millions drawing played out Friday night.

One aspect of the Mega Millions game that did not change was this. In order to win the game's jackpot which was $72 million (estimated) for Friday's drawing. You do have to match all five of the white balls and the gold Mega Ball. No ticket in Louisiana or anywhere else for that matter did that in last night's drawing.

There was a Match 5 Million ticket sold in Michigan. That was the largest single prize generated by the drawing on April 11. If you'd like to check your numbers here is what we saw rolling out of the hopper on Friday evening.

What Were the Mega Millions Numbers for Friday, April 11, 2025?

15   37   38   56   58   Mega Ball 19

If the ticket you are holding has a match on any of those numbers or several of those numbers you will want to verify and confirm that ticket via the Louisiana Lottery. The Official Louisiana Lottery website will not only calculate all of your winnings automatically it can also provide details on the most efficient way for you to claim your prize money.

You might be wondering why we didn't list the "Megaplier" along with the numbers that were drawn last night. That's because the "Megaplier" of old is no longer. The new format of Mega Millions now randomly assigns a "multiplier" for each ticket sold. That multiplier could be anywhere from 2x,3x,4x,5x or 10x.

If you take a look at payouts for tickets that under the old format would have been a "ticket price" win. In the case of the new Mega Millions, a ticket costs $5 compared to $2 for a standard ticket or $3 if you wanted to add the Megaplier". What would have been a $5 win in Louisiana is now a $50 win for 52 ticket holders. 

Since there was no jackpot winner in Friday's Mega Millions game the jackpot is expected to climb to $96 million when they draw again on Tuesday. Tonight's Powerball drawing is offering an estimated top prize of $82 million. Meanwhile, Lotto and Easy 5 will offer jackpot prizes of $500,000 and $70,000 respectively.

Louisiana Lotto Player Wins $2.4 Million

Incidentally, there was a big Lotto winner in Louisiana earlier this week. In the April 9, 2025 drawing the Louisiana Lottery confirmed that a ticket sold at a Circle K store in Mandeville won the game's jackpot prize of $2.445 million. Congratulations to that winner.

Please remember lottery games involve a significant risk of losing money. If you have a gambling problem help is available by calling 1-877-770- STOP (7867). The call and the referral to counselling are free for you and your family. It truly would be the best "bet" you could make on yourself. Good Luck.